DEFENCE

Low Flying

Mr. Quentin Davies:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the lowest operational attitude at which the C130J aircraft is cleared to fly in the RAF. [120410]

Mr. Spellar [holding answer 3 May 2000]: While the C130J is being introduced into service and development of its full tactical capability continues, the lowest operational altitude for which it is cleared is 2000 ft, except for take-off, visual circuits, instrument approaches and landings. Clearance for low level operation will follow when trials work is complete.

HEALTH

Regulation of Investigatory Powers Bill

Mr. Cohen:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on his policy in respect of the use his Department, its agencies and public bodies will make of the powers relating to the authorised obtaining of communications data in Part I, Chapter II of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Bill once the Bill is enacted. [119518]

Ms Stuart:
I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given by the Home Secretary on 19 April 2000, Official Report, column 509W.

Deafblind People

Mr. Andrew George:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to include standards relevant to the provision of domiciliary services to deafblind people, including communicator-guide and intervenor services, in the domiciliary care standards under development by his Department. [120414]

5 May 2000 : Column: 222W

Mr. Hutton:
We are currently considering the needs of all those receiving domiciliary services with a view to publishing a consultation document later this year. The standards will be the minimum core standards required for registration with the National Care Standards Commission. However, providers should be able to demonstrate that appropriate personal care is delivered to the required standards.

Mr. Andrew George:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to consult deafblind users of domiciliary care services, including communicator-guide and intervenor services, in relation to the setting of domiciliary care standards. [120415]

Mr. Hutton:
We are currently considering the needs of all those receiving domiciliary care services with a view to publishing a consultation document later this year. A core steering group and a wider reference group have developed the draft national minimum standards and a User Forum was held in January 2000.

Mr. Andrew George:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to include standards relevant to deafblind people in the care standards for residential services for adults. [120416]

Mr. Hutton:
We are planning to include standards relevant to deafblind people in the national standards for care homes for adults with disabilities and special needs. Relevant interests have been consulted. The standards are being drafted and will be published for consultation later this year.

Social Services

Mr. Steen:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the (a) spending per head on social services was in each of the last three years and (b) standard spending assessment per head for social services was in each of the last three years and is for 2000-01, in (i) Devon and (ii) England. [120828]

Mr. Hutton:
The available information is given in the table.

£

Gross expenditure on personal social services per head of population (1)

Standard spending assessment (3) for personal social services per head of population (1)

Devon (2)

England

Devon (2)

England

1996-97

191

189

131

141

1997-98

206

203

142

150

1998-99

210

219

141

158

1999-2000

--

--

147

167

2000-01

--

--

155

176

(1) Mid year population estimates with 1998 mid year estimate used also for 1999-2000 and 2000-01.

(2) On 1 April 1998 Plymouth and Torbay became separate unitary authorities; expenditure in these areas is included in the Devon expenditure and SSAs for 1996-97 and 1997-98 but excluded from the Devon expenditure and SSAs for 1998-99 onwards.

(3) Standard Spending Assessments (SSAs) are not comparable with actual expenditure. SSAs represent the unhypothecated resources provided to local authorities for social services. They include any expenditure funded from charges or from Department of Health grants or other grants.

5 May 2000 : Column: 223W

Correspondence

Mr. Beith:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will reply to the letter dated 2 December 1999 from the right hon. Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed about access to specialist alcohol services in the North-East. [121065]

Mr. Hutton:
My right hon. Friend replied to the right hon. Member on 4 May.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Fire Service

Mrs. Lawrence:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to publish the report of the inquiry into the machinery for determining firefighters' conditions of service. [121340]

Mr. Straw:
I announced in the reply I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Colne Valley (Kali Mountford), on 12 April 2000, Official Report, column 226W, that I had received professor Burchill's recommendations and was consulting upon them. I very much welcome his proposals for improving the working of the National Joint Council for Local Authorities' Fire Brigades and the positive reaction there has been to them. I have now arranged for the report of the inquiry to be published today as a Command Paper and for copies to be placed in the Library. I am asking for further comments from interested parties on the detail of the report and its recommendations to reach me by the end of this month.

Criminal Records Bureau

Mr. Donald Anderson:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to publish the Criminal Records Bureau Corporate and Business Plans. [121341]

Mr. Charles Clarke:
I have today published the Criminal Records Bureau Corporate and Business plans for 2000-05, and copies have been placed in the Library.

UK Passport Agency

Mr. Savidge:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to publish the UK Passport Agency's Corporate and Business Plans. [121342]

Mr. Straw:
I have today published the United Kingdom Passport Agency's Corporate and Business Plans and copies have been placed in the Library.

Demonstrations

Dr. Jack Cunningham:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what powers he has to ban demonstrations by individuals and organisations with records of violent conduct, destruction of property and vandalism; and if he will make a statement. [121000]

Mr. Straw:
Under section 13 of the Public Order Act 1986, a chief officer of police may apply to the district council for an order prohibiting marches or processions which he reasonably believes may result in serious public disorder, serious damage to property or serious disruption to the life of the community. Such an order requires my consent. In London, the Commissioners of Police may

5 May 2000 : Column: 224W

apply direct to me as Home Secretary for such consent. The chief officer may also attach conditions to such marches and to public assemblies. There is no power to prohibit peaceful public assemblies.

Section 14A of the 1986 Act similarly enables a chief officer to apply for and order prohibiting trespassory assemblies within a specified area, if he reasonably believes that such an assembly may result in serious disruption to the life of the community or in significant damage to land or buildings of historical, architectural, archaeological or scientific importance. This power applies only to areas to which the public has no right of access or only to a limited right of access.

Such bans do not apply to specified individuals or groups, but in considering applications I will give due weight to the police assessment of the potential for disorder or disruption to the community, including any available information on the groups likely to be involved.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Ethiopia

Mr. Streeter:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development when she expects the famine relief funded by her Department to be distributed in Ethiopia. [118816]

Mr. Foulkes:
Since January, we have committed over 24,000 metro tonnes (MT) of food aid to be provided through the ICRC and international non-governmental organisations. Most of this has been distributed or is in the process of being distributed. The distribution of the remaining 5,400MT is expected to start at the beginning of June.

Dr. Tonge:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions she has had with her EU and UN counterparts concerning the use of the Lokichokio World Food Programme airfield in Northern Kenya for providing assistance to Ethiopia. [120767]

Mr. Foulkes [holding answer 4 May 2000]: The World Food Programme have no plans at present to use Lokichokio airfield. If a large scale air operation is needed WFP would consider Lokichokio among a number of options. Its use would depend on its cost effectiveness.

Dr. Tonge:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will list the long-term development aid projects her Department supports in Ethiopia; and if she will make a statement. [120768]

Mr. Foulkes [holding answer 4 May 2000]: Our bilateral development programme is currently running at about £4 million to £5 million a year. We are supporting the following activities:

Police Training

Public Expenditure Review/Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper

Governance Fund

Technical Co-operation Training Programme

Ethiopian Roads Authority Contract Capacity Building

EU Food Security/Employment Generation Schemes Expert

DFID Food Security Field Manager

Support to the Ethiopian Food Security Reserve

5 May 2000 : Column: 225W

Review of the Ethiopian Food Security Reserve

Community Water Development Project--Phase II (Save the Children Fund)

Review of Rehabilitation Programme (Overseas Development Institute)

Prevention and Independent Monitoring of Disposal of Obsolete Pesticides

Dr. Tonge:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much her Department has contributed to the UN appeal for Ethiopia launched in January; and on what dates her Department provided the funds. [120765]

Mr. Foulkes [holding answer 4 May 2000]: Both the UN Appeal and the Government of Ethiopia Appeal in January 2000 identify priorities for assistance. The £7.3 million we have committed since January 2000 is targeted on these priorities.

Dr. Tonge:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the amount of food aid necessary to replenish Ethiopia's food reserves; and how much food aid was pledged by the EU to Ethiopia's food reserves in (a) 1998, (b) 1999 and (c) 2000. [120763]

Mr. Foulkes [holding answer 4 May 2000]: We understand that the physical stock in the Reserve currently stands at 90,000 metric tonnes (MT) of food. The United States, World Food Programme and the EU expect to provide a further 200,000MT by the end of July. The EU have pledged 110,000MT for the Food Reserve, which will be delivered by July 2001. The EU repaid 89,267MT to the Food Reserve in 1998 and 61,293MT in 1999.

Dr. Tonge:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent discussions she has had with her EU counterparts concerning the provision of food aid to replenish Ethiopia's reserve stocks. [120757]

Mr. Foulkes [holding answer 4 May 2000]: Our officials have been in close contact with EU officials to monitor the replenishment of Ethiopia's reserve stock. At January 2000 the EU owed 84,000 metric tonnes (MT). They have since repaid 16,000MT and are confident that they will be able to repay the total amount by the end of July this year.